[StBernard] Arrest made in March Chalmette murder

[Westley Annis]

Arrest made in March Chalmette murder
Print By Bob Warren, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune 
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on April 18, 2013 at 2:24 PM, updated April 18, 2013 at 2:25 PM
The St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office has made an arrest in a March 16
murder in which the victim was brought to Chalmette and shot to death,
authorities said. Jason "Fatt'' Madison, 31, was booked with second-degree
murder in the death of Herman "Peanut'' Jones Jr.

Jones, 33, had lived in Gretna for a time but had no known home address at
the time of his murder, the Sheriff's Office said. Jones' bullet-riddled
body was found March 17 by a passer-by in the 4000 block of Lavosier Street,
an industrial area north of Paris Road near the New Orleans line. The
Sheriff's Office said it believes he was killed before midnight March 16.
Shell casings were found at the location.

Madison, who the Sheriff's Office said is from New Orleans but has a
residence in Memphis, Tenn., is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison on
$1 million bond.

In an interview in Memphis, Madison told detectives that he knew Jones and
had been with him in New Orleans the night of March 16, less than an hour
before Jones was murdered, Sheriff Jimmy Pohlmann said.

"We have identified a motive for the killing of Mr. Jones but aren't going
to reveal it at this time,'' Pohlmann said.

The investigation is continuing and it is possible other arrests will be
made, the Sheriff's Office said.

Authorities said Jones had been arrested recently in Memphis on a probation
violation warrant from New Orleans.


Herman Jones, murdered March 16
 
The Sheriff's Office said detectives developed information identifying
Madison and others as possible suspects. They found that Jones and Madison
knew each other and had been arrested together in 2008.

"We obtained video footage from the area of the murder scene,'' Pohlmann
said, "and were able to identify a vehicle used to bring Mr. Jones to the
spot where he was killed."

That vehicle was recovered in Kenner in late March, brought to St. Bernard
and has been processed for forensic evidence that was given to the State
Police crime lab, Pohlmann said.

The sheriff also said detectives acquired video surveillance from French
Quarter businesses from the night of the killing which has assisted in the
investigation.